TURLOCK -- UC San Diego starter Trevor Decker had a no-hitter through 4 1/3 innings Sunday and the Tritons blew up for 10 runs in the fourth as No. 12 UCSD took the final game of a four-game series against No. 29 Cal State Stanislaus, 13-2, to win the series 3-1.
The Tritons move to 31-8 overall and 15-5 in the CCAA, taking over second place from the Warriors, who are now 25-13 overall and 17-7 in the CCAA.
The Warriors made contact all game, striking out just once up until the ninth inning, but the Triton defense stayed strong and helped Decker earn his fourth win of the season to move to 4-0. Decker threw seven innings and gave up one run on three hits.
Cal State Stanislaus starter
Matt Costa worked the first three innings with little trouble, giving up just two hits and striking out three, but things fell apart quickly for Costa in the fourth inning. Costa would record just one out in the inning after surrendering six runs on four hits.
A total of seven hits, three walks and an error fueled the 10-run rally that put the game away for the Tritons early. Garrett Imeson capped the barrage with a two-RBI single. Right fielder Nick Burke brought in the tenth run with a sacrifice fly, which was only the second out of the inning.
The Warriors broke up Decker's no-hitter in the fifth inning when
Jake Oketani singled to left field. The team ended Decker's shutout bid in the seventh inning when
Dante Palacios hit a leadoff single up the middle,
Dennis Wolfe walked and
Jacob Thelen walked to load the bases with no outs. The Warriors would squander what looked to be a big rally, as Oketani popped out to right field. The lone run came in on a
Josh Lewis groundout to shortstop, and
Jeff Hughes grounded out to end the inning.
The Warriors used five pitchers from the bullpen, including closer
Andrew Troncale in the fourth, when head coach
Kenny Leonesio tried to put a stop to the bleeding already down 4-0. Troncale instead would give up four more runs on two hits and two walks without recording an out.
Andrew DeMott was brought in to clean up the mess.
Freshman Anthony Smith pitched the seventh inning and struck out the side, but was replaced by
Jeff Harter in the eighth inning.
The Warriors will try to rebound from the series loss next weekend in a four-game CCAA series on the road against Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson. The series begins Friday with a single game starting at 2 p.m. A doubleheader Saturday begins at 11 a.m., and the series finale is on Sunday at 11 a.m.